No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCentral AmericaGuatemalaUnited States will send some Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala, DHS says

United States will send some Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala, DHS says

Mexicans seeking asylum in the United States could be deported to Guatemala, part of a controversial migration deal between the Central American nation and Washington, the US Department of Homeland Security told AFP Monday.

The agreement designated Guatemala a “safe third country” — allowing US authorities to deport some El Salvadoran and Honduran asylum seekers there — and was condemned by international human rights groups.

“Certain Mexicans seeking humanitarian protections in the United States may now be eligible to be transferred to Guatemala and given the opportunity to seek protection there,” a spokesperson for Homeland Security said in a statement.

The Mexican foreign ministry said it “disagreed” with the measure that could affect roughly 900 of its citizens from February.

In a statement, the ministry said it would closely monitor “human rights set out in the international agreements signed and ratified” by both countries.

Washington’s move is the latest tightening of immigration regulations under President Donald Trump, who has pursued a broader crackdown on undocumented migrants.

Under the agreement with Guatemala, migrants who want to seek asylum in the US but travel through Guatemala must first request protection in the Central American country.

Many international observers say the country — with 60 percent poverty — is in no shape to welcome refugees but simply signed the agreement under intense US pressure.

Washington has reached a similar deal with El Salvador.

In October, the US said border agents at the southern frontier with Mexico had arrested or stopped nearly one million undocumented migrants over the previous 12 months.

The increase was attributed to groups or families of Central American migrants fleeing poverty and violence to seek asylum on US soil.

Most migrants who reached the border are processed by immigration officials and then released to await a hearing on their claim — but they usually disappeared into the US, hoping to settle.

In a bid to stop the new arrivals, the US has asked Mexico to slow migrants’ travel, and ordered the expulsion of asylum seekers back to Mexico.

Trending Now

Hondurans March to Mark 2009 Coup as Election Battle Heats Up

Thousands of government supporters marched Saturday in the capital of Honduras to commemorate the anniversary of the 2009 coup that ousted then-leftist President Manuel...

Costa Rica’s Eyelash Viper Snake Is One of the Most Beautiful

There are at least 141 different species of snakes in Costa Rica. With that large number of species packed into such a tiny nation,...

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...

Former Costa Rican Minister Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Faces U.S. Extradition

Costa Rica’s judicial police arrested Celso Gamboa, a former security minister and Supreme Court judge, on Monday, following a U.S. request for his extradition...

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica